Later today, I’ll take a closer look at one of several workshops taking place during the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce’s upcoming Mobile Area Small Business Week, slated for May 12-15.
“Where is the Money,” co-sponsored by the University of South Alabama’s Melton Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and USA’s Small Business Development Center, is set for Tuesday, May 13 and is intended to introduce local entrepreneurs to myriad funding sources available to help get their ideas off the drawing board and into the marketplace.
Mark your calendar
Speaking of the chamber, though, here’s a look at some member events on tap this week and next completely separate from the inaugural small business smorgasbord.
We begin Tuesday, May 6 with the Mobile Association of Purchasing Management’s Transportation and Logistics Forum, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn-Airport, located at 3630 Springhill Memorial Dr.
The cost is $20 for chamber members, and the forum will focus specifically on the challenges and opportunities facing the transportation and logistics industry along the Gulf Coast. Panelists include Smitty Thorne, chief operating officer for the Alabama State Port Authority, and Ben Codding, customer account management for C.H. Robinson Worldwide.
For more information, call (251) 461-1792.
On Friday, May 9, however, the Alabama Coastal Foundation will host its Coastal Seafood Craze May 9 in tandem with Art Walk from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Temple, located at 351 Saint Francis St. in Mobile.
Tickets are $25, with all proceeds benefitting the foundation, and guests will enjoy dishes from each of the participating restaurants, live music by the Mulligan Brothers, a beverage and a “fun night out in downtown with friends and family.”
For more information, call (251) 990-6002.
And finally, the grand opening for Grace Healthcare, located at 1436-B W. I-65 Service Rd S. in Mobile, has been scheduled for Thursday, May 15. The festivities are free, beginning with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. For more information, call (251) 447-1677.
Kelli Dugan is a business reporter in Alabama Media Group’s Mobile hub, focusing primarily on aerospace and workforce development, but taking an occasional detour. Business Before Breakfast is an attempt to catch readers up on a variety of items while offering insights into the inner-workings of some of coastal Alabama’s more interesting industries. The column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and sometimes Mondays. She can be reached at kdugan@al.com.